ehbets



(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. G J. EHBETS. GAS OPERATED MACHINE GUN.

No. 550,262. Patented NOV. 26, 1895.

Zki'irlesses fi wenior.

2 t. Bu 6 h S w e e h S 2 N U G M S m Emu A M D A m P 0 S A G (No Model.)

Patented Nov. 26, 1895.

ni'i' NAM PHUTO-UTHQWASHINGTDKUC UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL J. EHBETS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE COLTS PATENT FIRE ARMS MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

GAS-OPERATED MACHINE-GUN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 550,262, dated November 26, 1895. Application filed May 3, 1893. Serial No.472,866. (N0 modelJ T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL J. EHBETS, acitizen of the United States, residing in Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented new and useful Improvements in Breech-Loading Firearms, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in the construction of guns, whereby the firing of the gun after the first discharge may be made automatic so long as the cartridges are supplied.

My invention relates principally to that class of machine-guns or other firearms in which a number of barrels are arranged around a common longitudinal axis and provided with suitable mechanism for feeding cartridges to them, and so that when the barrels are rotated around the common axis this movement actuates the breech mechanism, which during such rotation charges and fires each barrel in succession and removes the discharged cartridge-cases.

My invention is designed to employ the pressure of the powder-gases generated in the barrels by the firing as a means for revolving them, and thereby operates the breech mechanism and fires successive cartridges so long as cartridges are supplied.

My invention is illustrated by the mechanisms shown in the accompanying drawings, and is particularly set forth in the claims hereinafter following.

Figure I is a perspective front view of a machine gun with my invention applied thereto, showing the lever in the last of its upward movement. Fig. II is a longitudinal horizontal section through the breech-case of a machine-gun, showing the barrels and the breech mechanism. Four of the barrels above the horizontal axis of the gun have their front ends removed, so as to expose to View the barrels below the axis, the central shaft, a section of the front barrel-plate and of the ratchet-gear upon the shaft. The fifth of the barrels above the axis is entirely removed and the barrel at the right and below the axis at the firing-point is shown in section, as is also the breech-bolt in rear of it. Fig.

III is a perspective view similar to Fig. I,

showing the lever when, just after firing, it has been forced fully down and outward. A portion of a feed-case and a hopper are shown in position in this view.

The gun to which my invention is shown as applied is well knownas a Gatling gun. The barrels Z) I) I), regularly arranged around a common center, are supported near their front ends by the barrel-plate a, which has abearing at. its edge'on the end of the breech-case g, and the plate 0 supports the rear of the barrels. The plates a and care fixed upon the shaft (Z and rotating with it revolve the barrels. Fixed upon the shaft 61, in rear of the plate 0, is a carrier e, provided on its surface with grooves, so that a groove is in line with and in rear of the chamber of each barrel.

A feed-case w fits into a hopper 00 above the carrier, (see Fig. 111,) and as the grooves pass below the hopper during the rotation of the carrier each groove in succession receives a cartridge from the feed'case. In rear of the carrier and fixed to it and to the shaft is the flanged cylinder f, which serves to guide the breech-bolts i i, of which one is provided for each barrel. In Fig. II a portion of the cylinder f is removed, so as to showa part section of the same.

In rear of the cylinder f the shaft d passes through the central hub of the cascabel-plate 70, which latter closes the rear of the breechcase, and upon the end of the shaft the crank h is fastened. Fixed in the breech-case and surrounding the cylinder f is the cam-cylinder j, in the interior surface of which is a cam-groove j for the reception of the outwardly-projecting lugs on the rear ends of the breech-bolts 'i. This cam-cylinder j is shown in section in Fig.II,the upper half being removed. Thus only half of the cam-groove j is shown, inclining up and rearward. It

-will be understood that the part of the groove in the removed upper half of the cylinder, as indicated by the position of'the breech-bolts, inclines downward and forward. Each breech-bolt is provided with an extractorhook i, with a firing-pin i", and with a spiral spring. The rear end of each firing-pin projects from the breech-bolt and is provided with a knob, and in the cam-cylinder, above its axis, the cocking-piece r is arranged with a partly annular groove in the path of the firing-pin knobs.

So far the construction is that well-known in this class of guns, and when in operation the crank is turned, the shaft, plates, barrels, carrier, guide-cylinder, and breech-bolts revolve, while the cam-groove in the stationary cam-cylinder causes each breech-bolt to make a forward and a rearward movement during each revolution. Thus during the upper part of its curcuit each breech-bolt traveling downward, as seen in Fig. II,moves forward through the carrier, forcing the cartridge deposited in front of it, as 6, Fig. II, into the barrel and closes the latter, while during the lower part of its circuit the rearward movement of the breech-bolt extracts the shell, the extractor having engaged the flange of the latter, and the shell is ejected from the side of the gun. As each breech-bolt approaches the forward position, the knob of its firing-pin enters the groove in the cocking-piece r and is there retained, compressing the spiral spring until when the bolt has closed the chamber in the barrel the firing-pin escapes from the cocking-piece and fires the shot, as at I). Thus the rotation of the shaft (Z actuates the entire breech mechanism. a

In front the barrels protrude from the plate a, and at some distance in rear of its muzzle I provide each barrel with a radial opening 0, so that at the firing position, as at h, the opening is downward and in the direction in which the barrels revolve. To the breechcase is fastened the bracket n, which supports the pivot 19. Upon this the lever l is pivoted, which extends transversely beneath the barrels and is provided at its free end with a cap g, which stands below and closes the opening 0 of the barrel 1) at the firing point when the lever is in its raised position. In this position the lever is yieldingly supported by the spring 3, fastened to the breechcase, its free end bearing under the lever. On its front face the lever Z carries the arm m, extending upward in a vertical plane forward of the barrels to the end of this arm, and on its rear face the pawl 10 is pivoted, so as to engage a ratchet-gear t, which is fixed upon the shaft d in front of the plate a. A spring 1; or its own weight serves to yieldingly hold the pawl in such engagement, so that by the upward movement of the lever Z the pawl will rotate the gear, while the downward move-.

ment of the lever does not affect the gear.

When cartridges are fed to the carrier and the crank is turned until a shot is fired, the

pressure of the powder-gases in the barrel, after the bullet has passed the opening 0 and before it issues from the muzzle, acts through 0 on the cap q and forces the lever downward. During the upward or return movement of the lever Z, actuated by the spring 3, the pawl, by revolving the gear 25 and the shaft d, brings the next barrel to the firing-point and fires The movement of the lever causes the cap q to meet the barrel (2 and to close the opening 0 just before theshot is fired. This action will be repeated so long as cartridges are supplied to the carrier.

In the above the ratchet-gear is described as fastened to the central shaft; but the part of this shaft forward of the rear barrel-plate may be dispensed with, as the latter and the front plate, with the series of barrels fastened to them, form a self-supporting whole. In this case a series of concentric projections on the front barrel-plate take the place of the gear; or the pawl on the lever may take its hold directly against the barrel, which is between the common axis and the pivot of the lever, and, by bearing against it as the lever moves upward, rotates the series. The num ber of the barrels and the location of the fulcrum of the lever determine which of these methods is the most practical one. Inplace of the spring supporting the lever the latter may be provided with a counterweight attached to an arm projecting outward from the hub of the lever and yieldingly supporting it.

While I have shown my invention as applied to a Gatling gun, it may be applied to any other gun in which by the rotation of a series of barrels about a common axis the breech mechanism is actuated and the barrels are fired in succession at one point of their circuit.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to cover by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a breech loading fire arm in which a series of barrels revolve around a common axis and the breech mechanism for charging, firing and clearing the barrels in succession, is actuated by the revolution of the barrels, the combination of the barrels each provided with a radial opening in rear of the muzzle, a yieldingly supported lever pivoted upon a fixed fulcrum and adapted to close in succession the radial opening of each barrel at the firing position, and a pawl on said lever connecting it with the series of barrels, by which the swinging movement of the lever will impart rotary movement to the barrels, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a breech loading fire arm in which the barrels revolve around a common axis, and the breech mechanism for charging, firing and clearing the barrels in succession, is actuated by the revolution of the barrels, the combination of the series of barrels each provided with a radial opening in rear of the muzzle, a ratchet gear at the common axis of the barrels, with a yieldingly supported lever hung upon a pivot and adapted to close the radial opening of each barrel in succession as it approaches the firing position, and a pawl and spring arranged on the lever, by which the swinging movement of said lever will impart rotatorymovement to the ratchet gear and the series of barrels, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a breech loading fire arm in which the barrels revolve around a common axis, and the breech mechanism is actuated by the revo lution of the barrels, the combination of the barrels each provided With a radial opening in rear of the muzzle, said opening being in downward direction When the barrel is in the firing position, a series of projections concentric with and fixed to the series of barrels, a yieldingly supported lever pivoted at a point on the side of the casing farthest from the firing point, and provided with a cap adapted to close the opening of the barrel in the firing position, and a pawl on said lever connecting the lever With the series of projections, so that the swinging movement of the lever imparts rotary movement to the barrels, and the cap on said lever in its upward CARL J. EHBETS. In presence of- -WILLIAM A. BEDDING,

ALFRED W. KIDDLE. 

